16 It is the Lord Jesus himself who will descend from heaven. When he comes down, he will command all of us believers to rise from their graves. The chief angel will shout loudly, and another angel will blow a trumpet for God. Then (OR, As a result), the first thing that will happen is that the people who trusted in Christ before they died will live again. 17 After that, God will powerfully take up into the clouds all of us believers who are still living on this earth. He will take us and those other believers who have died, in order that we all might together meet/welcome the Lord Jesus in the sky. As a result of that, we all will be with him forever.